Sunday, April 17, 2016

The thing about living in the metropolis and surrounded by skyscraper buildings or shall I say living in a concrete jungle is that chances are slim to see the sun rising especially when your apartment is only on the fourth floor and facing North like ours. So you tend to get overwhelmed and mesmerized by sunrise when there's a chance. I can't blame my husband if he did a short habit of catching the sunrise every morning in Pagudpud. He never bothers to wake me up and just let me sleep while he sneaks out of our Cabana at the crack of dawn. The sunrise in Pagudpud fascinates him. Who wouldn't?

On our third day in Pagudpud, we drove down to Kabigan Falls. There's a minimal entrance fee of P20 each and P100 for the guide. We were given options to either hike or ride a carabao for P50. We chose the hiking. It was just only 8:30 a.m. and our tummy were filled with a yummy breakfast so we had the energy and are ready to get spent. We armed ourselves with an umbrella, long sleeves, a bottle of water and a bottle of extra energy drink for my husband. Our guide said it would take about 30 minutes to reach Kabigan Falls. Sometimes, it takes more time depends on your pacing if you're slow or fast. He said we were the first tourists that day, so we are lucky because there'll be no persons when we get to the falls. That sounds good, I thought.

We enjoyed the trail. We passed on the rice fields and streams that made me wonder where those big rocks came from. I noticed Pagudpud is rich with big rocks. The green bushes all around were really beautiful and somewhat soothing to the eye. I remember my Mom said once that if my eyes get tired from reading or from staring long in the computer, I would just rest my eyes by staring at anything green. That's why during the trail, I took advantage of the time and let my eyes feast on the nature surrounding me.

Soon enough, we were trailing on the woods. The temperature cooled down as the trees blocked the scorching sun. I discovered another ant species; it was big that I saw it even I haven't had my sunglasses on. I heard a loud gushing of water and our tour guide announces that we are approaching the falls. I barely remember the last time I saw a falls; I was like in my kindergarten years? Kabigan Falls doesn't overwhelm me that much but it was nice to see it.

Behind me was Dos Hermanos Islands

In the afternoon, we went to the last two spots to visit in finishing the folklore about fertility. It's on the farther side after Casa Consuelo just before the uphill road. I wondered again why there are so many huge rocks in Pagudpud. So, this is so-called cave "the cervix". It's the 5th spot to visit according to the folklore. It means that the pregnancy is successful.

Thumbs-up Rock

My husband couldn't figure out which angle to take for a clearer picture of the thumbs-up rock. Did I mention that my husband had a stomach upset right after trekking in Kabigan Falls? That's why we really didn't stay longer in this spot because he was still weak. He got dehydrated but thankful to find a Gatorade nearby. The resort owner gave him medicine, too. We really appreciated the kindness. I still felt glad we were able to finish the spots to visit because the Thumbs-up Rock was the last one according to the folklore. The thumbs-up meant that the giving birth is successful and okay.

LAST DAY IN PAGUDPUD
On our last day in Pagudpud, we packed early as soon as we finished taking breakfast. We got to leave Pagudpud before 10:00 a.m. because we squeezed in the itinerary the visit to Bangui Windmills. We could never leave Ilocos without a good photograph of Bangui especially my husband. The separation anxiety kicked in when we finished packing our stuff. This is what we hate the most, right? That when the reality hits you that everything has come to end. I felt sad that we're leaving that day. I didn't want to end the slow days yet.

So, we took a lot of photographs of Casa Consuelo. As I type these words, I feel a tight knot form in the back of my throat. I really miss this place badly. The memories are playing vividly in my mind as if we were there just yesterday. We left a remembrance in Casa Consuelo just like the rest of their guest. We left a short note of appreciation for taking care of us. Why does saying goodbye could always be so difficult?

We love Pagudpud!

We were thankful that the decent road going to Bangui Bay was good already. I couldn't imagine going through that rough road before (see post here). It was the quarter to 11:00 a.m. when we reached the threshold of Bangui Windmills. The scorching sun won't let you enjoy the outdoor; it was freaking hot! The view was worth it anyway. We felt glad we squeezed in Bangui before we leave because Bangui Windmills were beautiful at the broad daylight compared to last time attempt.

Here's a tip: If you want to buy souvenirs from Ilocos Norte such as a miniature of the Burgos Lighthouse & windmills, Tshirts, and other Ilocos Norte specialties; Bangui has it with much cheaper price than of the vendors anywhere. We discovered this when we were able to buy a medium miniature size of a windmill for 3 pieces for P100 only at Bangui while the other vendors outside Bangui sell it for P50 each. By the way, this is the last installment of my Ilocos trip.